The content of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere returned to the values of the Pliocene era, when the temperature was much higher, and beech forests grew near the South Pole.
Between 2.6 and 5.3 million years ago, the relatively warm period of the Pliocene continued on Earth, during which the specialization of mammals and the emergence of their modern forms, including the first representatives of the human race, began. The average temperature at that time was 2-4 ° C higher than today, and the ocean level was 20-25 meters higher. But, perhaps, soon we will see both, because the content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today has already reached the same level as in the Pliocene epoch.
The London conference of the British Royal Meteorological Society (RMS) was devoted to this issue. “If you turn on the furnace and set it to 200 degrees, the temperature will not rise immediately, but will take time,” said geophysicist Martin Siegert speaking at the meeting. "It's the same with the climate." The scientist noted that since the beginning of the era of the Industrial Revolution, the average temperature has risen by 1 ° C, and the content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from 280 to 412 parts per million (ppm), which may indicate a continuation of warming in the coming centuries - up to the Pliocene values, a couple more degrees.
The melting of glaciers and the rise in the level of the World Ocean will take even longer, but, according to the scientist, pretty soon we will nevertheless come to a climate reminiscent of the Pliocene times. At that time, according to scientists, in Antarctica - no further than 500 kilometers from the South Pole - beech and coniferous forests grew. Studies have shown that summer temperatures here in that era reached 5 ° C, 20-25 degrees higher than the current level. However, it is in this direction that Antarctica is moving today - along with the rest of the world.
Fossilized prints of leaves of "southern beech" Nothofagus beardmorensi, found in Antarctica / Francis, Ashworth.
“This is an amazing find: they found the remains of the leaves of the 'southern' beeches. “I call them the last forests of Antarctica,” said the head of the British Antarctic Expedition (BAS) Jane Francis, “and they grew up with 400 ppm carbon dioxide, so it’s very possible that they will be back soon. Glaciers are melting constantly, and this will allow plants to colonize the continent again."
It is worth noting that about 100 million years ago, the atmosphere accumulated even more carbon dioxide - up to 1000 ppm - and at that time it was even hotter on Earth. Antarctica was already in the vicinity of the South Pole, but remained almost entirely covered by dense forests. We hope that things will not come to such extreme changes in the near future. However, Martin Siegert adds: "If we continue to emit carbon dioxide at the same rate, we will have 1000 ppm by the end of the century."
Sergey Vasiliev
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